Proteomic investigation of sera and saliva samples from children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and matched controls

摘要

Here we analyzed the sera and saliva from children with ASD and matched controls using a combination of electrophoresis (Tricine-PAGE & SDS-PAGE), in-gel or in-solution digestion, and nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS) to investigate the differences between the proteomes of people with ASD and their matched controls. In the experiments using sera, we found increased levels of apolipoproteins (Apos) and serum paraoxanase arylesterase 1 (PON1), in the sera of children with ASD, compared with their matched controls. These proteins are predicted to interact with each other and are parts of High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs). These data suggest that in children with ASD, cholesterol metabolism is dysregulated. In the experiments using saliva, numerous differences were found in proteins that support the possibility that immunological responses are present in some forms of ASD. These results will hopefully shed some light about the possible cause of the onset of ASD. This investigation is ongoing.